A Headache at the Back of the Head: What Does it Mean?

Different Kinds of Headaches Based on Location

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Not all headaches are alike. Usually, it depends on the headache location for you to be able to determine what kind of a headache it is. Some headaches can start gradually while others occur all of the sudden. Some are characterized by throbbing or pulsating pain while others cause a dull pain that lasts for days. Understanding the nature of your headache is very important in preventing it from happening by avoiding the triggers. You should also try to learn more about your headache to find a suitable treatment.

An ice pick headache is characterized by short yet powerful stabs of pain that usually occur at the front or the sides of the head. Some patients describe the pain as electric. It is short yet very powerful at times. One stab can last for only a few seconds, but it would cause discomfort that can affect the quality of life.

What Causes Ice Pick Headaches?

There isn’t one single known cause for ice pick headaches. However, some doctors believe that it happens due to a problem in the way pain signals are transferred from and to the brain. Some people suffer from this stabbing pain as a symptom of another serious disease like multiple sclerosis, herpes or stroke. The ice pick headache usually runs through families. If you have a parent who suffers from this kind of pain, you will most probably have to deal with it later in life.

There are certain factors that could trigger ice pick headaches. One of them is related to food. People, who consume a lot of processed food that contains big amounts of nitrates, usually suffer from this kind of a headache. It is also common among people who don’t eat regularly or starve as a means to lose weight. A change in the sleep pattern or not having enough sleep can lead to this kind of a headache. A lot of people also tend to deal with this headache especially if they spend a lot of time using their smartphones. Using a smartphone puts the neck in a wrong position that affects the posture. The nerves in the head and the neck region get affected by this bad posture.

Can Ice Pick Headaches Be Treated?

Most patients feel that they don’t have to treat ice pick headaches as the pain usually lasts a few seconds. This doesn’t give painkillers a window to work which means that they can be quite useless. However, a treatment is possible especially if you tend to have more than one annoying episode per day.

A change in the diet, working out and sleeping more will usually make your ice pick headache go away. There are also some prescription drugs that can help you feel better but these should be taken under the supervision of your doctor or healthcare provider.

Although an ice pick headache is not dangerous, it could be a warning sign for something else going on. If your headache is accompanied by high fever, numbness or trouble seeing or talking; you should seek immediate medical help.

A lot of people suffer from dull pain or tightness especially at the back of the head. Although one episode can last for days, it usually doesn’t affect your balance or physical strength. Nevertheless, dealing with this kind of a headache is extremely uncomfortable as it can make you dizzy and usually puts you in a bad mood.

A headache the back of the head or the neck is called Tension Headache. It is mostly caused by stress and is by far the most common type of headaches in adults. Patients usually get this kind of a headache less than 15 days per month but the condition can sometimes get worse. People who get it more than 15 days per month are said to suffer from a chronic type of a tension headache. The pain might ease up throughout the day but it is always there and this is why patients usually find a way to live with it.

What Causes Tension Headache?

Almost 80% adults suffer from this kind of a headache at least once in their lifetime. Women are twice as likely to get this headache as men.

This kind of a headache is usually triggered by stress. Dealing with pressure at work, home, friends or relationships can cause a lot of health problems, including this kind of a headache. A tension headache has no genetic causes but is mostly caused by tension and stress. People usually get a tension headache if:

They don’t get enough sleep or rest every day.

They face a lot of problems that usually cause them to shout or raise their voices.

Deal with emotional or mental stress.

Suffer from depression.

Have a bad posture.

Suffer from anxiety.

What are the Symptoms of a Tension Headache?

A tension headache is usually mild or moderate but the problem is that it doesn’t easily go away. It can start at the front or sides of the head but it usually occurs at the back of the head. A lot of patients describe the pain as a tweezers-like clamp that squeezes the head from the sides or the back. The pain might start later in the day and not affect the quality of life until it becomes very severe.

Patients usually feel tired and irritated because this kind of a headache deprives them of quality sleep. They also face troubles focusing on important and detailed tasks and can be quite sensitive to light or loud noise, although this is not a common symptom.

How is Tension Headache Treated?

The best way to deal with a tension headache is to avoid the triggers. You can also try to practice meditation and relaxation techniques that can help you overcome the muscles tightening. You can use warm compresses or take a hot bath to help the muscles relax. Patients who suffer from the chronic type of this tension headache find painkillers useful.

A tension headache is not a dangerous condition. However, most people use natural remedies or relaxation techniques to manage their pain and decrease the level of discomfort.

There is over a hundred type of headaches that we may encounter in our daily lives each of it has different pain type and different areas in the head which you might feel where the pain is. In this article, we are about to tackle the different kinds of headache locations.

First and foremost we will first tackle the common causes of headaches before we go further. So what causes headaches?
Stress, being tired and emotionally drained cause you to skip meals or even use alcohol in order to avoid the feeling of being stress, theses causes changes in your body that can affect your sleeping pattern that can give strain in your eyes that can trigger so many kinds of headache starting from the stress itself up until the alcohol use and even the change on your sleeping pattern.
Illness, there are also kinds of illness that can trigger a headache especially the likes of cold, fever and flu. Cases like throat infection and ear infection can also trigger a headache as well.

Environment, where you spend most of your time is a common factor as well, an example being exposed to the smoke from the cars even the second-hand smoke that you inhale from smokers and even from the dust can trigger your headache. Also if you are in a very noisy place such as a factory or even in disco bar is a factor as well, even in the office being in front of your computer for a long period of time can trigger as well.

So what are the types of headaches based on location?

Cluster headaches, this type of pain is severe that you can feel like something is burning behind or around your eyes it can be a throbbing pain or just constant. This kind of a headache is not that much common but if you encounter this one it is one of the most painful headaches that you can fell.

A migraine, it is a common type of a headache. This kind of a headache is most often describe as it is something is pounding your head resulting you to feel throbbing pain, some only last for hours but if you are not one of the lucky ones this pain can last up to days and it can always come back whenever you feel you are safe from it. This type of headaches comes with you being irritated with noise, smell or even intense light you can feel like vomiting, being dizzy and even losing the appetite to eat.

Tension headaches, these types of headaches just comes out of nowhere children, teens, adult and old has no escape from it. Even though it chooses everybody this kind of a headache does not hurt that much compared to the other ones.

Sinus headaches, pain on your forehead, cheekbones and the bridge of your nose are the symptoms. This kind if headaches usually occur if you have a chronic sinus it also comes when you have a fever, runny nose, and flu. This kind of a headache is not that severe because it only usually rides with some illnesses.

Hormone headaches, this type of a headache usually occurs to women who are experiencing changes in their hormone levels during their period, pregnancy and their menopausal, intake of birth control pill can also trigger the change in hormones that can cause a headache.

Changing your innermost thoughts from negative to positive could lead to a stress-free life. A positive outlook can do wonders to your health, including minimizing aches and pains.

What does it take to be a positive thinker?

Thinking positively does not mean ignoring problems and life issues. It’s simply having a more pleasant approach to challenges and adversities. Instead of being anxious about impending problems, you try to envision that the best is yet to come.

Sometimes you find yourself engaging in self-talk. It takes place when you harbor thoughts that are all locked within you. But be aware that thoughts can be positive or negative and are triggered by reasoning or thinking up logical thoughts.

When your thinking is more on the negative side, it likely follows that your outlook could be leaning towards negativity. By changing this negative mindset to one that is positive, you end up being an optimist, a person who radiates positivity in life.

How does positivity lead to a stress-free life?

Well, first and foremost, when you think positively, chances are, you have fewer incidences of getting stressed. According to Treat Headaches stress and tension can bring about intense pain around the forehead, temples and other typical headache locations. However, when you are stress-free and happy most of the time, you are psychologically and physically healthier. Your life span may increase because your immune system is stronger. You easily ward off cardiovascular diseases and other serious illnesses. If you are healthy in mind and body, you have a better coping mechanism when faced with stressful situations.

Up to this date, it cannot be clearly stated why positive thinkers live healthier lives but there’s a study revealing that more positive thinkers and optimists tend to adopt lifestyles that bring good health. These healthy practices include engaging in a regular physical activity, eating healthy food, and avoiding vices such as smoking and drinking too much alcohol.

Are you a pessimist or an optimist? If you frequently find yourself thinking that a situation is too complicated, you don’t have enough of life’s necessities, you can’t accomplish anything, you’re not making substantial improvements, you can’t change your situation, or you can’t do something new because you feel it’s bound to fail, then, you could be a walking pessimist.

But if you always think that every situation presents a learning opportunity, taking chances is healthy, success can come after any failure, trying is always an option, and priorities can be adjusted to address a pressing matter, then you are most likely a positive thinker.

Positivity comes with acceptance

If you feel that you are a negative thinker, don’t be stressed out. You can’t acquire positivity in a few days. You have to do it every single day until you transform into an optimist. Do self-talk the positive way. Don’t be too critical of yourself. Accept yourself more and more each day.

Stress won’t disappear, it is part of life. However, you do have a choice to conquer it.

Be with people who would like to be positive thinkers. These people are ready to support you and will always give you proper feedback. They may even serve as your coaches that you can depend on when you need some guidance. Avoid negative people for they could trigger stress. They could even prevent you from coping with stress in a productive way.

Stop and do some self-check

If you want to de-stress, take time to stop from your busy schedule. Allot a time to rethink and to retrospect. The first thing you could do is to take a stock of your life. Think of the facets of your life which you usually dwell on with negativity. It could be your career, family, or your current lifestyle. Take it one at a time and focus.

Laugh a lot

When you are happy you release happy hormones. Smile and laugh at funny, trivial everyday events. Instead of blaming yourself for something that has gone wrong, laugh, smile, and get back to your feet.

How do you handle stress and cope with success? Here are 3 tips you can follow today.

Find out where it’s really coming from

Usually, stress comes from growing discontent or disharmony in the family or workplace. So it pays to identify where and what the triggers are. When you know what they are you are better prepared because you have identified it. You are fully armed when the particular stressful situation arises.

Talk with your buddies

This stress relieving method works mostly among ladies. Hanging out with girlfriends brings a much-needed respite from stressful work or family matters. A study shows that it even lowers the level of cortisol released by your body. Cortisol is a hormone that’s released when a person is subjected to too much stress.

Do mental conditioning

Go to a quiet place. Form mental images about past experiences that had brought you sheer joy. Visualize that your mind and body is stress-free and that all your tension has disappeared. By mental conditioning, you will be able to control negative thoughts and destructive emotions.